Adding solar wall lights to your parking bay, garden, pool surround, or entranceway is a fantastic way to improve visibility and increase security, using outdoor wall lights that are powered solely by the free, clean solar energy of the sun.
While fitting your solar wall lights is easy, and we provide fixings and a detailed installation guide with every unit, we recognise that some homeowners may benefit from expert advice to maximise the impact of their new wall lights and select the ideal position around their property.
In this article Solight runs through our suggestions for fitting solar wall lights on fencing panels or walls around your home, choosing the right solar-powered lighting system, and how to ensure your lights are at the right height and placement to provide great lighting all year round.
Key Tips to Consider Before Fitting Solar Outdoor Wall Lights
Solar wall lights offer compelling benefits over conventional lighting. They are non-reliant on mains power, so command zero electricity costs, use advanced LEDs and batteries including automated functionality, and, provided you have at least partially good sunlight exposure for a proportion of the day, work in all weather conditions.
Further, solar-powered lights are simple to install, without any cabling, wires or digging trenches, as you would expect with a wired lighting solution.
It takes most people under ten minutes to fit outdoor wall lights to their selected panel, although preparation is key, and the location of your wall lights can make a big difference in the results and the area covered by your outdoor lighting!
- First, unpack your wall light and check it is in perfect condition.
- Next, read through the instruction manual for model-specific guidance, and ensure you have all the screws and fittings required.
- Drill two or three small holes into the fence panel or wall at your required height, and add the anchor points or brackets.
- Finally, simply clip or screw the solar light into place, verifying that it is secure and stable.
That’s all there is to it, and you’ll find the fixings and attachments inside the box, designed for the size, weight and model of solar wall light you have selected.
Positioning Outdoor Wall Lights
Fitting outdoor wall lights is straightforward, but it’s also important to consider the different categories of solar lighting available since this may dictate the location of your lighting fixture.
For example, if you want to boost security around your home by adding a wall light with an automatic PIR motion sensor, you might pick a different spot from homeowners wanting to improve the atmosphere in their garden for evening dining.
Models like the Solar Wall Light Mars 1 work ideally as dual assets, illuminating pool areas and kids’ play equipment while eliminating dark spaces from your garden during evening or early morning periods at dusk and dawn, and throughout gloomier days.
Higher-mounted wall lights shine across a wider field of vision, so you may wish to consider mounting wall lights at an elevated spot on the wall or fence to ensure your lighting covers the intended area.
Likewise, you need at least a good sunlight level for three or so hours per day for solar wall lights to work optimally, so if you have areas around your property that tend to be in the shade, often due to overhanging trees, you may wish to fit your garden lights on the opposite aspect.
Fitting Wall Lights to Fencing and Brickwork
Our wall lights are engineered with cutting-edge casing materials and are designed to work efficiently, without mains power, using the hours of daylight to collect sunlight and charging the battery back to full capacity during sunny weather.
However, if you have a lightweight fence or a slim panel, you may want to select a compact solar lighting solution that won’t be too heavy or bulky for the space. The Mars 2 Solar Wall Light is a great example, with an installation height of two to three metres and three alternative lighting modes to choose from.
Larger security wall lights, like the Mars 3, can be fitted against any fence line, but a wall mounting may be preferable if you have a shorter fence panel. We’d also advise checking your installation site and ensuring you have any extra tools needed, such as a masonry drill bit for brickwork.
Assembling Tools to Install Solar Wall Lights
The tools you need to install your solar lighting solutions include a drill, the right drill bits, and potentially a secure step ladder if you would like your solar lights to be at the most appropriate height to capture maximum sunlight and shine bright light across your garden space.
There are no cables to contend with, nor do you need to hire an electrician. Still, it could be useful to have a second person to lend a hand should you need one, particularly if you want to fit your lights during low light conditions – in which case, we’d recommend having a torch or alternative lighting source for accuracy and safety reasons.
Choosing the Right Solar Outdoor Wall Lights for Your Property
It is easy to fit solar lighting anywhere around your home and achieve excellent value for money with durable battery systems that have a long lifespan, most lasting for over a decade, with routine cleaning to remove dust and dirt from the solar panel.
Our extensive range of solar wall lights includes models specifically designed for elegant ambience, such as the beautiful Exquisite Range, and modern, contemporary lighting units like the Mars 5 Solar Wall Light, which slot perfectly into newer-build properties and landscaped gardens.
Features such as automatic motion detectors, step-down lighting for battery conservation, manual and auto controls and IP-rated waterproof casings are all great solutions and ensure your lighting will function just as you expect it to for many years to come.
We’d recommend you have a look at the features built into our solar wall lights if you are unsure of the right option for your home or welcome you to contact the experienced solar lighting team at Solight should you need any advice.
